Internal-combustion engine



W. E. VER PLANCK.

INTERNAL coMBusTloN ENGlNE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, I9I8.

Patented July 27, 1920.

l VK Inventor: William E.\/erPIancK,

by @MM His Attorneg.

e UNITED STATES rArENr OFFICE.

WILLIAM EVERETT VER PLANCK, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR T GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

INTERNAL-COIEEBUSTION ENGINE. f

specification of Letters Patent. 15m-@need July-27, 1920.

Application filed November 9, 1918. lSerial No. 261,761.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EvnRE'rT vYun PLANO/ri, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in InternaleCombustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines of,i the type having a valve mechanism such as a fuel valve, operated by a cam through the intermediary of a member usually termed a push rod. rlihe push rod is generally connected at one end to the valve mechanism, and extends through suitable guides to a point where its other end is adjacent to the operatingcam, and it is provided with a stop collar to limit its movement.

One object of my invention 'is to provide an improved structure and arrangement of push rod wherein the stop collar can be readily adjusted to give the desired length of stroke to the push rod and prevent it moving inward too far when the cam moves from under it, and firmly clamped in adjusted position in such manner that there is no danger of its becoming loose.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement for lubrieating all the wearing parts of the push rod such lubricating arrangement including means whereby an oil film is maintained on the fixed stop against which the stop collar on the push rod strikes whereby a cushion is provided which serves to reduce the wear to a minimum and deaden the noise.

For a consideration of what 1 believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

ln the drawing, Figure 1 is a view of a part of an internal combustion engine embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the lower end of a push rod.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates the cylinder structure of an internal combustion 'engine and 6 pistons therein connected by rods 7 to the crank shaft 8. 1n the present instance, a twin cylinder engine of the high compression type is illustrated but it will of course be understood that this is only by way of example and that my invention engages a roller 13 on the lower end of the i push rod-11 to` operate valve 9.

Referring now to the specific structure of the push rodv itcomprises-two members 14 and 15, the member 14 being in the form of a length of rod or a tube and the member 15 being in the lform of ahollow head. At the upper end of the member 141 is attached a clevis 16 between the furcations of which the end of lever 10 is pivoted. rEhe two members lland 15 are connected together by a link having a central taper plug 17 and threaded ends 18 and 19. Threaded end 18 is screwed into the lower end of tube 14 and may be fastened by a pin 2() as shown in Fig. 2. The upper endl of head 15 is provided with a tapered bore 21 which receives plug 17 and just below the tapered bore it is threaded to receive the threaded end 19 of the connecting link. rllhe upper end of head 1,5 having the tapered bore is slotted longitudinally as indicated. at 22 and is threaded on the outside to receive a stop nut 23 which forms the stop collar for the push rod. lvl/*lien the taper plug is forced into the tapered bore by screwing the threaded end 19 down, it expands the slotted end of the head against stop nut 23 to firmly lock it into position. rThe lower end of head 15 is enlarged and is provided with two furcations 15a between which the roller 13 referred to above is journaled.

rlhe crank casing of the engine is indicated at 24 and as shown inFig. 1, the lower end of the push rod passes through the same. On the upper side of the crank casing is a downwardly projecting sleeve 25 through which the push rod passes. Sleeve 25 forms a guide for thn push rod and at its upper end it is countcrbored to form a stuffing box 26 in which is a packing 27. The head 15 is located in a guide member 28 which is fixed to the crank casing 241 by rods 29, which rods also serve to hold sleeve 25 in position. Between the stop nut 23 and the lower end of sleeve 25 is a spring 30 which acts to hold roller 131m operative relation to cam 12. There is also a suitable spring in casing 31 which closes valve 9. The enlarged lower` end of headl is provided with a groove 32 in whichis located the end of a set screw 33 which servesY to prev-ent head falling into the crank case in case of breakage of links 17-18. n

. Referring now to the lubricating arrangement for the push rod, lubricant is supplied under pressure through pipe v35 to an annular chamber 36 from the lower end of which leadsa passage 37 which communicates with a slot 38 passing entirely through head 15'. Leading from the interior of head 15 adjacent its lower end is a passage 39 which conveys lubricant to roller 13. This lubricates the lower end of head 15 and the roller V13. Surrounding the upper end of head 15 is an annular groove 40, the lower end of which is connected to annular cham-V ber 36 by a passage l1 through which lubricant passes to groove l0. Lubricant from groove el() lubricates the upper end of head 15 and also overflows on to the flat surface L2 against which stop nut 23 strikes when the valve 9 closes, and cam 12 moves from underroller 13. `This forms an oil lilm on surfaces y-12 which serves to cushion the blow of stop nut 23 against surface 42 and also to deaden the noise. To adjust the stop nut 23 relative to surface 42, the pressure of the taper plug 17 on the slotted end of headV 15 isrelieved by screwing the plug out of the head a little. The nut 23 can then be adjusted to the desired position after which the taper 4plug 17 is again screwed down to expandthe wall of the upper end of the head against the nut thereby locking itin its adjusted position.

In Fig. 2 cam 12 is shown as having moved under rollerv13 to open valve 9 and stop nut 23 is spaced from surface 12. When cam 12 moves from under roller spring 30 will quickly bring stop nut 23 into engagement'with surface 42 and it will be noted 'that this blow tends to drive the tapered bore at the upper end of head 15 more firmly over the taper plug 17, thus tending to further expand'the slotted end of the head within the stop nut 23. This Y means that the operation of the engine tends to tighten the locking of the stop nut in Vposition rather than to loosen it.

In accordance with theprovisions of the patent statutes, I have described the prin- Y ciple of operation of my invention, together Y with the apparatus which I nowA consider and has projections which are fastened to.

said two members, and a stop nut which screws over said split end.

2. In an internalV combustion engine, .a push rod comprising two members, one of which has a longitudinally split end with tapered counter-bore, means for connecting the two members together comprising a. taper plug which lits into said counter-bore and has projections which are fastened to said two members, a stop nut which screws over said split end, a fixed stop against which the stop nut strikes, and means for maintaining a film of lubricant von the surface of said fixed' stop.

3. In an internal combustionv engine, the combination Aof a valve, a cam, and a push rod through which the cam actuates the valve, said push rod comprising a tube, a head having its upper' end longitudinally split and provided with a tapered bore, a stop nut which su "rounds said upper end, and a member which connects the tube to the head and is provided with aV tapered section which fits into said tapered bore to expand the end of the tube within said stop nut.

one of In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this Y5th day of vNovember'1918.

WILLIAM EVERETT VER rLiNcr. 

